The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-10-23
GOVERNMENTS AWKWARD ATTI
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The United States Congress, during
late years, has been guilty of som,
pretty scrubby legislation, and it il
doubtful if any is more contemplate
than that provision of the Edmunds
Tucker law directing the Attorney
General to institute suit for the disin
corporation of the Mormon church, ant
escheating to the Federal government
the property of the church in excess o.
certain value. The infamy of this
law becomes more and more apparent
as the proceedings for its enforcement
progress. We are not finding fault
with the Federal attorneys in the case.
They are simply performing duty re-
quired at their hands by their masters.
1t is evident that the task is none too
agreeable to them, for being gentlemen
of at least average intelligence, and i'm
bued with American ideas and senti-
ments, they cannot fail to feel that the
work in which they are engaged isnny-
thing but in harmony with the spirit
of the age and of the republic.
Does the country understand what is
being attempted by the government?
Do the people of the nation realize the
nature of the proceedings in the Su-
preme Court? In the name and the
guise of the law the great government
of the United States has set out not
merely to disincorporate church, but
to deprive that church of its property,
to rob it by force of the hard-earned &C.
cumulations of half a century. It is
neither more AMOR less that the nation
has undertaken in these suits, and it's
methods are not such as would be prac-
ticed by an individual. There isn't
much of this property. Itwould be i'm
possible that there could be much,
when we reflect upon the pov-
erty of the great masses of
Mormon converts, and consider the
struggle for existence which they have
been compelled to endure. But little
or much as the possessions of the church
may be, by no process of reason or
argument can the rightful ownership
of dollar of the property be traced to
the Federal government. The govern
ment has no better title to the personal
or real estate of the Mormon church,
than it has to one of Astor's corner lots
in New York, or to the few dimes and
quarters which the poor widow has
saved for the purchase of her winters |
coal. If any nickel of this property |
shall be touched by the government it |
will be theft, or what is just as bad, |
robbery, and as much so as the deed of |
the highwayman who binds and gags
the traveller while he relieves him of his
valuables. The fact that the Congress
of the United States has authorized and |
instructed the officers of the government
to go on with this proceeding
does not make it right. Congress
cannot make such deed as
is attempted right, even if it can
make it legal, which latter even is
denied.
The church has given a schedule or
inventory of the property held by it,
and to escheat which the government is
now suing. All this property was &C
4uired by the corporation through the
.ree will offerings, the gifts if you please,
Of the members of the corporation. The
church could have acquired it in no
other way. 1t is not claimed that it was
in any other manner than
mis-. Therefore, if the property does not
belong to the church as corporation,
t should belong to those who thought
hey were presenting it to the church.
1t belongs to the Mormon people, and
lot to the government. nor to the enc
MES to the Mormons who are chuckling
With glee over this attempt by great
nation to plumber and despoil weak
md helpless community. The mean
less of the government is further en-
)hasized. The church corporation,
when it is told that it must not hold
md have what its members have
'een pleased TO give, undertakes
o return the gifts, dividing them
'mong the donors in the form of con-
'eyances to the several stakes, districts
II local communities. The people of
hese respective stakes have nominated
nd the courts, acting under the law,
ave appointed and confirmed trustees 7
o manage this property for the benefit =
( those to whom it rightfully belongs, g
here is fairness, there is broad justice t
i the course pursued by the church. !
ut so greedy is the government that it {
oes not consent that justice shall be S